"H-how do you know my mother's name?" Claire asked, her voice barely audible as she struggled to come to make sense of what was happening. Everyone else had gone quiet, even Draz who sat still as stone beside her seemed to have nothing to contribute, no witty comments or snappy interjections.
"I wasn't sure at first to be honest," Rollan said, rubbing the back of his neck, "but the more I thought about it, the more it made sense."
"Thought about what? What made sense?" Claire asked, trying not to let impatience get the better of her. She could feel her heart squeezing uncomfortably in her chest as she tried to figure out whatever it was Rollan had pieced together. Nothing seemed to fit and Claire suspected that Rollan had more pieces of the puzzle than she did.
"We needed a volunteer," Elysia interrupted, her eyes were fixed on the table, her voice was distant, as though she were remembering something long forgotten. "Someone to protect Rollan until we could find a cure and bring him back."
She shook her head and looked towards Rollan. "There's no way, Nathalie never even hinted..."
"The only thing I can assume is that she didn't know," Rollan replied.
"Didn't know what?" Claire snapped, causing both to look towards her in surprise. Claire had slammed both her hands against the table in her frustration causing the untouched goblets filled with warmed spiced wine to rattle.
"That she was pregnant," Rollan concluded, looking pointedly at Claire, "with you."
Claire sat down hard in her chair, her legs suddenly deciding they were no longer capable of supporting her weight. If what they were saying was true, if they knew her mother, than that meant Nathalie had come from this world. What she didn't understand was how she fit into the rest of it. What had compelled her mother to abandon her world?
"Why would my mother volunteer to protect you, Rollan?" Claire murmured as she bunched her hands into tight fists in her lap.
"Claire... your mother was my aunt," Rollan revealed, "you and I are cousins, we're family."
Claire stood, the room suddenly feeling as though it was closing in on her.
"Claire, where are you going?" Elysia called out, but Claire was already halfway to the tent's covered opening. She flung it aside, nearly knocking over a young fae boy as he walked by carrying a bundle of firewood. She didn't say a word, simply rushed past him, the cold air striking her flushed face. Flecks of ice stung as they caressed her tear stained cheeks, but Claire didn't even seem to notice, or if she did, she didn't let it slow her down.
If what Rollan and Elysia claimed was true, then Nathalie wasn't just from Oria, she was royalty which made Claire... well, she didn't want to think about that just then. It was enough to learn that had least part of her had once belonged here... but what of the other part?
What about her father?
For as long as she could remember, her mother had insisted her father was dead. Nathalie had always gotten so sad mentioning him that, even at a young age, Claire had never had the desire to pry further. If she had been pregnant before, then her father was potentially from Oria as well, if Nathalie had gotten pregnant later, then her father was from earth.
Reaching the edge of the encampment, Claire stopped and stared out into the darkness. She could go back and ask, but pride kept her rooted in place. She felt consumed by feelings of anger and betrayal. She felt as though she had been abandoned all over again, left to sink or swim in the midst of a raging storm.
Why hadn't she told her the truth?
In her heart, Claire knew it wasn't their fault, that they were not the ones who had lied to her, that burden fell upon her mother.
But her mother was not there, her mother was dead, and the anger Claire felt in light of this new revelation was very real and very much alive. It needed an outlet, a target.
"Claire?"
Draz's voice punctured her thoughts and she rounded on him. He stood barely a foot away and she grabbed hold of his forearms, fingers gripping tightly.
"Did you know? Did you know all this time?" She shouted at him, glaring at him.
"No, Claire," Draz said, taken aback by her outburst. "I swear I had no idea."
As quickly as it had come, the anger fizzled out and Claire, who still had a solid grip on his arms, pulled herself into him, tears flowing with abandon now. Draz gathered her up into a tight hug and simply held her. It was the first time in weeks that she felt real, and grounded, despite the turmoil and anguish rolling through her at the unexpected revelation. She knew she was probably overreacting, but she didn't care. It felt good to cry, something she had fervently denied herself since she had first gone back, determined to remain strong in the face of her decision.
Draz said nothing, he simply held her, offering her a safe harbor, a refuge in the storm. It wasn't until the sobbing had faded into inaudible hiccups and the tears had abated, that he finally loosened his hold and Claire stepped back.
"Sorry," she whispered, her voice hoarse.
"For what?" Draz asked, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
"Being such a mess," Claire grumbled.
"I mean, mess is kind of an understatement, you really should avoid crying, you are not a pretty--"
"Draz!" Claire cried, punching him in the shoulder.
Draz chuckled and pulled her into a tight, but brief, hug. "You have nothing to be sorry for. If I'm honest, I'd be more worried if you hadn't cried," he admitted, pushing damp strands of hair from off her cheeks with the pads of his thumb, "it's been a pretty stressful day."
Stressful was putting it lightly.
"We should get some rest," Draz continued, "Elysia agreed to give us the supplies we need to reach Drift."
Claire knew she should have been pleased, and she was, but the evening's revelations still weighed heavily on her shoulders. She turned back towards the trees, the snow laden branches glistening in the pale light of the moon, and felt a tightness in her chest. "Do you think we'll find him?"
"Of course," Draz replied, trying to keep his tone light and confident, but Claire could tell he was as worried as she was. "Come on, lets go, it's cold and I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted."
Claire nodded, offering one last fleeting glance towards the forest before turning to follow Draz back towards the tent in the center of camp.
The next morning dawned bright and Claire woke disoriented and alarmed by her unfamiliar surroundings. It took only a moment or two for her to get her bearings and once she did she rose and stretched the stiffness from her muscles.
Claire felt as though she hadn't slept at all. If the tangle of wool blankets at her feet was any indication, than she had spent more time tossing and turning than actually getting any rest. The area that made up her makeshift room was an offshoot of the large tent in which Elysia herself stayed and conducted business. The dark colored canvas walls of the tent bowed in slightly each time the wind blew but Claire felt no breeze and mentally commended the thick fabric for its sturdiness and protection.
Tugging her boots back onto her feet, Claire made her way out of the small space and across the empty meeting room. The space stood empty, the table around which they had all sat was cleared of any debris save for a large square of paper held down at the corners by decorate weights. A brief glance showed it was a map, presumably of the surrounding area.
Before she could confirm, however, the sound of approaching voices had her stepping back just as the tent flap swept open. Warm morning sunlight spilled into the otherwise dimly lit space. Blinking at the sudden brightness, Claire lifted her hand to shield her eyes as three figures swept in. The first was unmistakable, Elysia had a certain air about her that made it impossible not to take note of her presence -- even half blind.
The two figures trailing after the domineering fae queen came into focus as her eyes adjusted to the light and she realized it was Draz and Rollan, the latter looking angry and flushed.
"What's going on?" Claire asked causing Elysia to scowl.
"This idiot is insisting on going with us," Draz said with a casual shrug.
"Idiot? Idiot?" Rollan fumed, his hand dropping to the pommel of his sword.
"Rollan, stop," Claire insisted before turning towards Draz, "he's not an idiot. He just wants to help. There's nothing wrong with that. I don't see the problem with Rollan joining us. Wouldn't it be better to have an extra set of eyes?"
"He's just going to be dead weight," Draz announced as he strolled towards the table and dropped into an empty seat beside Claire. A second later he had both feet propped up, the heels of his boots leaving streaks of muddy snow across the polished table top. "We're better off going it alone, just the two of us. I'm all the protection you need."
"Of course you'd think that," Rollan scoffed, "with an ego as big as yours it's a wonder you fit in this tent at all."
"I think you are all missing what's really important," Claire stated, cutting Draz off before he was able to sling more insults. "Alek is missing and the longer we stand around arguing, the colder the trail is going to get and the harder it will be to find him."
Claire turned towards Elysia, "I understand why you want Rollan to stay here, I really do, but don't you think he deserves to make his own choice? If you trust him to rule a kingdom, you should trust him to do what he thinks is right."
"He's the future king of Oria! He can't just--"
"You rose to the defense of your people, at the risk of your own life," Claire pressed, causing Elysia to go quiet. "I commend you for such a selfless act though many would view it as foolhardy and reckless. I think Rollan deserves that same chance."
Elysia sighed, pinching her the bridge of her nose between her slender fingers. "Very well," she said at last, "if Rollan wishes to accompany the two of you to Drift I will not stop him. That is, on one condition."
"What condition is that?" Claire asked.
"You report back to me on your progress," Elysia said simply.
"How in the world are we supposed to do that?" Draz asked, sounding annoyed.
Elysia simply smiled and snapped her fingers. Two fae appeared in the doorway of the tent carrying between them a large wooden box painted white and decorated with ornate carvings. Claire quirked a brow, wondering if all the theatrics had been for show. In the end she felt it prudent not to ask and simply watched as the two fae approached Elysia with the box.
She carefully raised the lid revealing a plush interior lined with white satin. Nestled in the center were two glistening, opalescent oval shaped disks about the size of Claire's palm.
Elysia lifted one out and held it out to Claire. She took it and found it to be surprisingly light. One one side the surface was rough, on the other side it was as though it had been polished smooth.
"That is a dragon scale," Elysia explained. "We can use it to communicate. All you have to do is hold it in your hand and speak the name of the person who holds the other scale."
"There are dragons here?" Claire gasped, her eyes growing wide.
Elysia laughed and shook her head. "No dragons have been seen in Oria for nearly two hundred years."
There was a heavy thud as Draz slid his feet from the table and a moment later he was standing beside her, eyes as round as hers.
"Do you know how rare these are?" He asked, looking towards Elysia.
"Extremely, that is why I expect you to take good care of it and return it to me once you've finished your mission," Elysia said, all the humor seeping from her voice. Claire nodded, suddenly fearful that the seemingly delicate scale would shatter if she held it too tightly. As though reading her mind, Elysia smiled again.
"Dragon scales are the strongest material known in Oria, it would take an incredible amount of magic to destroy it. I simply ask that you do not lose it, or sell it," she glanced pointedly at Draz who made a feeble attempt at looking offended by the unspoken accusation.
Before he could defend his honor, Elysia started towards the tent's entrance, "Enough idle chatter. Your supplies are ready and as Claire so eloquently argued, your time is short and if you wish to be successful in your search for our wayward magician you should best be on your way."